Portugal’s President Endorses Law to Legalize Abortion

Portugal’s President Anibal Cavaco Silva ratified a law Tuesday that legalizes abortion up to the 10th week of pregnancy. Last month Portugal’s parliament voted to legalize abortion following a popular referendum, which showed that 59.3 percent of voters were in favor of legalizing abortion. The old abortion law was one of the most rigid abortion bans in Europe, with the procedure prohibited except in cases of rape, fetal malformation, or if a woman’s life or health was at risk. Portugal’s Socialist Government now has 60 days to regulate the new law before it can be implemented.